Evaluation report
FGM Medical Education at a United Kingdom Medical School: students’ perspectives (FGMed Study)
Raju K, Dixit A, Ramgopal A, Gorham E, Hallett N et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study surveyed medical students in clinical years at a UK medical school about their knowledge, confidence, and training regarding Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Students reported some theoretical knowledge of FGM but low confidence in recognising it in clinical practice, receiving only about 1.6 hours of teaching that was heavily lecture-based. The research identified gaps in the curriculum and found that students wanted more small group tutorials with a clinical focus to better prepare them to manage FGM cases.
Key points
- 43% of respondents rated themselves as having reasonable, good, or extensive knowledge of FGM risk factors, but only 25% felt confident recognising these in clinical settings
- Students received a mean of 1.6 hours of FGM-related teaching, delivered primarily through lectures
- Students requested more small group tutorials focused on developing clinical approaches to FGM
- Gaps were identified in both the content and type of teaching in the current FGM medical curriculum
- Recommendations include increasing clinically-oriented small group teaching sessions and extending teaching hours in clinical years
Limitations
This study surveyed students at only one UK medical school, so findings may not represent all medical schools or other countries. The study assessed perceptions and self-rated confidence rather than actual clinical knowledge or competence.
Abstract
Background: Over 200 million girls from over 30 countries worldwide have been subjected to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Globalisation has led to a rising prevalence of FGM in western countries such as the United Kingdom (UK). FGM has varied implications, including physical and mental health complications and legal consequences. It is therefore vital for medical students as future healthcare professionals to receive training on a clinical approach to FGM. Methods: A single centre online survey was distributed amongst medical students in years 3-5 (clinical years) at a large UK medical school. Qualitative and quantitative data was collected. The aim was to assess perception of their knowledge and confidence with regard to FGM and to gauge opinions on the current FGM medical curriculum. Results: The results demonstrate a lack of confidence despite some theoretical knowledge. For example, 43% of respondents rated themselves as having a ‘reasonable’, ‘good’, or ‘extensive’ knowledge of the risk factors for FGM, but 25% felt they were ‘not at all’ confidence in recognising these in a clinical setting. Regarding the quantity of teaching, respondents reported a mean of 1.6 hours and a heavily lecture-based current medical curriculum. Free text responses highlighted a need for more small group tutorials about FGM with a focus on developing a clinical approach. Conclusion: The FGMed study identified gaps in the current FGM medical curriculum in terms of content and type of teaching in a UK medical school. This study has generated a list of specific suggestions such as increasing the number of clinically oriented small group teaching sessions, and increasing the number of teaching hours in clinical years. Overall, these results and recommendations may be transferable to other countries and contexts given the global significance of FGM.
Findings the Hub has extracted
Each claim below is labelled by its type of design and links back to this report.
- Intervention
- Current FGM medical education curriculum at the medical school
- Population
- Medical students in clinical years (years 3-5) at a large UK medical school
Key finding
43% reported reasonable to extensive knowledge of FGM risk factors, but 25% felt not at all confident recognising these clinically
K et al. · Europe PMC · 22 Sept 2022